Today In Entertainment

JANUARY 12, 2021

What's news: Netflix inks a mega-deal with Kevin Hart as it announces a jam-packed 2021 feature slate, Apple snags a sci-fi comedy from Andy Samberg and Ben Stiller, Risk is being developed for TV, HBO Max's Batman spinoff gets a new showrunner, Jon M. Chu departs Disney+'s Willow, streaming spend set to skyrocket. Plus: Gotham Award winners, and Univision's new executive team. --Alex Weprin

 Netflix's Big Movie Bet

►Kevin Hart is making an enormous, Adam Sandler-type deal with Netflix, Kim Masters reports. The deal calls for Hart to star and produce four features for the streamer and then enter into a first-look deal via his production banner, HartBeat Productions. The comedian previously had a first-look deal with Universal, for whom it made the comedy Night School, and a deal with Nickelodeon.

--“Partnering with Netflix is an amazing opportunity for HartBeat and myself," said Hart in a statement. "I am excited to act in and produce cutting edge films with Netflix.  I am extremely grateful to Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber, we share the same creative vision and always put the audience first.  This business is about growth and my HartBeat team continues to exceed my expectations with their ability to develop stories and relationships. Our goal is to make the HartBeat name synonymous with first class entertainment and narratives.” The story.

+Speaking of Netflix: In a show of content force, the streaming giant says that its 2021 slate will bring "a new movie every week." The features include the Zack Snyder-directed Army of the Dead, Jennifer Lawrence starrer Don't Look Up, musical Tik, Tik... Boom! and Dwayne Johnson action movie Red Notice, among others. The list also comprises acquisitions like Halle Berry's directorial debut Bruised and Malcolm & Marie, and is expected to grow as the streamer acquires finished films out of festivals and elsewhere. More.

+Apple snags another significant feature. Andy Samberg and his Palm Springs writer Andy Siara have teamed up with Noah Hawley and Ben Stiller for a untitled sci-fi comedy-drama that has landed at Apple Studios. Apple finalized the deal over the weekend, picking it up in a competitive situation. The story.

+One of television's most iconic duos are getting the feature film treatment. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in talks to play television titans Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — the creatives and stars behind beloved series I Love Lucy — for a film that is set to be directed by Aaron Sorkin, a follow-up to his work on Netflix's Trial of the Chicago 7. Amazon Studios is behind the feature, titled Being the Ricardos, which will be produced by Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. The story.

+Ben Affleck is looking to delve into the fantasy realm for the first time as director. The filmmaker is attached to direct an adaptation of the book series Keeper of the Lost Cities for Disney. Kate Gritmon and Affleck are penning the script, which adapts Shannon Messenger's bestselling series of middle-grade fantasy books centering on Sophie, a 12-year-old girl with telepathy. As Sophie unravels the mystery behind her powers, she discovers she is not human, but instead is from a world that exists alongside our own. The series already has eight installments, with a ninth on the way, and has sold more than 2.5 million copies combined. The story.

+The theatrical delays are continung farther into 2021. Jared Leto's Morbius will not be haunting audiences in March. The Sony and Marvel film has moved its release date to Oct. 8. It previously had been set for March 18. The move comes as theatergoing remains uncertain amid the coronavirus pandemic. The film was previously slated for last July before the pandemic delayed it. More.

 'Risk'-y TV

►Entertainment One is tapping into the IP of its parent company, Hasbro, for its latest TV project. The studio has teamed with House of Cards creator Beau Willimon to develop a series adaptation of the board game Risk. Willimon and Jordan Tappis' production company, Westward, has also signed a multiyear, first-look TV deal with eOne. Risk, in which players aim for global conquest via war, strategy and diplomacy, has been perennially popular since its introduction in the late 1950s. The story.

+HBO Max has found a new chief for its Gotham PD series. Giri/Haji creator Joe Barton will take over as showrunner on the project, a spinoff of The Batman feature film. Barton steps in to the role two months after Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire veteran Terence Winter exited the show over creative differences. The story.

+Filmmaker Jon M. Chu will not be exploring the world of Willow. Chu, who was set to direct the pilot and executive produce the Disney+ series, announced Monday that he is exiting the property over scheduling conflicts and the upcoming arrival of a new baby. More.

+CBS has rebranded CBS Television Distribution as CBS Media Ventures. “Syndication has traditionally meant distribution, but as the media landscape has evolved so have we,” said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, in a statement explaining the decision. “In addition to our core business of producing and distributing leading first-run series, we also have a robust ad sales and partnerships business, create digital content for multiple platforms and run the lifestyle network Dabl. This new name better reflects who we are and positions us for limitless opportunities in the future.”

 Streaming Skyrockets

►Total spending on streaming services and software is projected to reach a record $112 billion in 2021, an 11 percent growth over 2020, according to Consumer Technology Association projections announced on Monday, as its virtual CES Show began. This follows 31 percent growth in 2020 over 2019, reports CTA.

--The CTA research suggests that overall retail sales revenue for the technology industry will climb to $461 billion in the U.S. in 2021 – a 4.3 percent increase year-over-year--with streaming services, 5G connectivity and digital health devices (including health monitoring and sanitizing technology) as leading drivers due to Americans staying home during the pandemic. The story.

►Entertainment and tech giants suspend political spending following capital riot. Comcast, AT&T, Hallmark and Facebook are joining the list of companies that are rearranging their political contributions and business relationships to distance themselves from President Trump and the G.O.P. the week after supporters of the president rioted at the U.S. Capitol. Several companies said that they had decided to withhold political contributions from the group of senators that voted to object to certifying the 2020 president election results last week. The story.

+Meanwhile, Parler has filed suit against Amazon. Parler claims Amazon Web Services is conspiring with Twitter to quash potential competitors and that's why the web giant decided to terminate the right-wing social media platform's cloud service. More.

►Gotham Awards: With Jeffrey Sharp, the executive director of Gotham Awards presenting organization, the Gotham Film and Media Institute, formerly known as IFP, in person along with a handful of presenters at a largely empty Cipriani Wall Street, and winners joining the show via live video, the 30th annual Gotham Awards honored a diverse group of projects and figures in independent film. Chloé Zhao's Nomadland won two awards--best feature and the audience award. Zhao, in particular, thanked the film festivals from the past year. The full list of winners.

►Univision Communications, now under new ownership, has named a fresh slate of executives to lead the company alongside CEO Wade Davis. ViacomCBS executive Pierluigi Gazzolo, former Telemundo president Luis Siberwasser, and former WarnerMedia ad sales chief Donna Speciale will be among the new executives at the Spanish-language giant. More.

+A trio of agents are exiting WME. Tanya Cohen, Simon Faber, and Solco Schuit are exiting to become managers or manager-producers, according to multiple sources. Their final destinations have not been made clear. More.

+Revolving door: Veteran music agent Aaron Tannenbaum has joined WME as a partner, based in its Nashville office... Longtime outside counsel to the Recording Academy Joel Katz has resigned from Greenberg Traurig, the firm announced Monday... Mike Milbury is no longer with NBC Sports after more than a decade as a hockey analyst... Mobile games company Scopely has named former Facebook Gaming exec Ben Webley as its chief marketing officer, the company revealed Tuesday...

►TV reviews: Inkoo Kang reviews the ABC sitcom Call Your Mother, writing "The premiere of the laugh-tracked, multi-cam Call Your Mother is nearly all table-setting, stock characters and unfunny jokes. (Expect a lot of blunt-force dialogue like Jean saying, 'I don’t know what I’m supposed to be anymore.')" The review.

+Daniel Fienberg reviews The CW's Trickster, writing that "while it's impossible to separate Trickster from [creator Michelle] Latimer [who falsely claimd to have an indigenous heritage], I think there's value in recognizing much of what remains valid in the show — especially when it comes to the cast, most of whom will be complete unknowns to American audiences. Aspects of the show deserve the spotlight." The review.

►Film review: Frank Scheck reviews The Marksman, the Liam Neeson action thriller, writing that "the film is most effective not in the relatively brief action sequences — although a climactic shoot-out is well orchestrated — but rather in its depiction of the growing bond between Hanson and the young boy he's risking his life to protect." The review.

Obituaries: Stacy Title, the filmmaker who directed the horror movie The Bye Bye Man and was afflicted with ALS, died Monday. She was 56... Rod Perry, who starred on the 1970s ABC series S.W.A.T. and appeared opposite Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, died Dec. 17, his family announced. He was 86...

In other news...

--The Göteborg International Film Festival, Scandinavia's largest public festival, has announced its official lineup for 2021, unveiling the films that will compete in its 44th edition, which runs Jan.29-Feb. 8. 

--Disneyland is reopening, but not as a theme park. Shuttered since last March, the Anaheim destination will host a massive POD or large Point-Of-Dispensing COVID-19 vaccination site, Orange County and park officials announced Monday.

--Spike Lee’s American Cinematheque tribute is taking shape with the addition of Angela Bassett, Ryan Coogler, Jodie Foster, Rosie Perez and Da 5 Bloods stars Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

--As COVID-19 places greater emphasis on remote working, Sony unwrapped a pair of developments from its Innovation Studios on its Culver City lot, including notable new technology for sound editors, mixers and sound review.

--The Hollywood Reporter and entertainment public relations agency Impact24 PR will host a virtual event called Summit Hollywood Together: A Look Into Diversity, Allyship and Access on Jan. 16.

--In The United States vs Billie Holiday, Lee Daniels tackles the untold story of the jazz singer’s civil rights activism.

--Rolling Stone and podcast producer OBB Sound are teaming up to produce Too Long; Didn't Watch, an original podcast series featuring a host of star names watching critically acclaimed shows for the first time.

What else we're reading...

--"The Hollywood escape economy is just around the corner" [Time]

--Rupert Murdoch was personally involved in Fox News' decision to switch the 7 PM hour from news to opinion [CNN Business]

--"Nielsen says COVID-19 has disrupted loca rating panels" [Broadcasting & Cable]

--"Expect more Nickelodeon after NFL playoff broadcast ‘exceeded every expectation’" [The Athletic]

--"A theater of propaganda: The Capitol, cameras and selfies" [AP]

Today's birthdays: Zayn Malik, 28, Howard Stern, 67, Kirstie Alley, 70, Rush Limbaugh, 70, Jeff Bezos, 57.

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JANUARY 12, 2021

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